Diesel engines are typically used for on- and off-roadway vehicles, as well as marine, industrial, and military use. While most of the industrialized world's diesel fuel usage for on-highway applications is being reduced in sulfur content, high sulfur content fuel is still used in some markets and applications. Sulfur in diesel fuels can have many detrimental affects on modern high performance diesel engines, including accelerated wear, corrosion of internal components, and is particularly damaging to emission control equipment.
Further, the inventors have discovered sulfur-contaminated fuel can cause fuel injector fouling, at least in part by sulfur deposits. Injector fouling can affect fuel injection quantity and the spray pattern of fuel injectors, thereby leading to degraded engine power, and various other effects.
At least some of the above issues of fuel injector fouling are addressed by a method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on a sulfur containing fuel. The method may include adjusting an injection of fuel to the engine in response to a sulfur content of the fuel to compensate for degradation of fuel injectors.
For example, by adjusting fuel injection parameters based on sulfur content of the fuel, engine power can be maintained by compensating for the potential clogging of the injectors due to sulfur deposits.
In another example, some issues may be addressed by a method for monitoring operation of a diesel engine operating on such a fuel, the method comprising indicating fouling of a fuel injector in the engine in response to the sulfur content of the fuel. In this way, maintenance or other action may be taken to address high sulfur fuels.
In still another example, issues may be addressed by a method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on such fuel, the method comprising performing a fuel injector cleaning cycle in response to a sulfur content of the fuel. Again, by performing cleaning of the fuel injectors responsive to fuel sulfur content, degraded engine performance may be addressed.
In yet another example, issues may be addressed by a method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on such fuel, comprising: estimating a sulfur content of the fuel based on fuel injector performance; and adjusting operation based on the estimated sulfur content of the fuel. In some examples, the adjusting operation may include adjusting engine operation. In a further example, the method may include adjusting a sulfur decontamination cycle of an emission control device coupled to the engine, the cycle adjusted responsive to sulfur content of the fuel, the sulfur content correlated to injector performance of injectors coupled in the engine. In some examples, the fuel injector performance may include fuel injector effects on maximum engine power. In some examples, the fuel injector performance may include an amount of fuel injected for a given pulsewidth at a given set of operating conditions. The operating conditions may include injection pressure and/or engine speed. The amount of fuel injected may be calculated based on an exhaust air-fuel ratio and a mass airflow. In this way, improved performance may be achieved.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.